Let's Go to Magic School vs Thirsty Sword Lesbians
Compare Let's Go to Magic School and Thirsty Sword Lesbians side by side. See differences in complexity, dice, genre, and more.
| Let's Go to Magic School | Thirsty Sword Lesbians | |
|---|---|---|
| Genre | Fantasy | Fantasy, Sci-Fi, Cyberpunk, Modern |
| Tags | Collaborative, Worldbuilding, Playbook-Driven, Fiction-First, Character-Driven, Freeform Magic, Drama, Magic School | Narrative, Fiction-First, Character-Driven, Drama, Roleplay-Heavy, Collaborative, Playbook-Driven, CC-Licensed Rules, Beginner-Friendly, One-Shot Friendly |
| Core Mechanic | Roll 2d6 + stat. On a 10+, full hit. On a 7-9, partial hit with complications or limited choices. On a 6-, miss: the GM makes a Reaction. Five stats: Virtue, Ambition, Learning, Heart, and Worldliness. Inspiration is gained on missed rolls; five Inspiration unlocks an advancement from the playbook. | When a move's fictional trigger occurs, roll 2d6 plus Daring, Grace, Heart, Wit, or Spirit. Each move defines the consequences for an up beat on 10+, a mixed beat on 7–9, or a down beat on 6-; down beats mark XP and let the GM introduce a complication. |
| Dice | 2d6 | 2d6 |
| Complexity | Low | Low |
| Availability | Free core rules | Free core rules |
| Runnability | Book tools not listed | 5 of 5 book tools |
| License | All Rights Reserved | CC BY-SA 4.0 (text) |
| Third-Party Publishing | Not yet researched | Commercial publishing allowed — Powered by Lesbians open license |
| Summary only, not legal advice. Check current terms before publishing. | ||
| Publisher | Holothuroid | Evil Hat Productions |
| Year | 2025 | 2021 |
| Languages | English | English, French |
| Best For | Groups who want to collaboratively build a magic school setting and play out the social drama of student life (friendships, rivalries, classes, and mastering spells) in a flexible, setting-agnostic fantasy framework. | Groups seeking queer action romance centered on personal relationships. It supports one-shots and campaigns built through collaborative setting creation. |
| Highlights | Collaborative worldbuilding during setup defines the school, its magic system, principles, limits, and laws. 17 magic subjects organized into five tiers (Basic, Elective, Advanced, Forbidden, Lost) shape the school's curriculum. Spells are defined collaboratively during play rather than from a fixed list. Scrutiny system tracks institutional consequences for rule-breaking students. | Conditions impose concrete penalties until recovery scenes or destructive actions clear them. Strings let characters influence rolls or tempt choices, making relationships mechanically consequential. Playbook conflicts and Smitten prompts give each romance a source of dramatic tension. |
| Considerations | Requires investment in collaborative worldbuilding during setup; sample settings are provided but no full pre-built setting. | There is no general move for persuading an NPC directly, so mechanical leverage comes from gaining and spending Strings. The default Fight move resolves one exchange rather than a turn-based combat round, but optional Expanded Fight Moves support longer duels. Exploration and investigation rely on fictional positioning or Defy Disaster instead of dedicated procedures. |